The Singing Engine
by Goldsaddletank
Summary: Gordon joins an opera in London.
1. Chapter 1

**The Singing Engine**

Gordon gave one last rejected look behind him as he steamed out of the Sheds into the starlit night. His movements were not proud smooth and confident as they usually were, but shuddering and sad, almost as if he would fold in on himself.

He had been kicked out of the sheds by the other engines for singing during a play.

All that happened was that Gordon and his friends had been busy helping a theatre company set up an outdoor theatre, and as a treat, they had been allowed to stay behind and watch the performance.

They had decided upon a musical take on War Horse which the engines had been enjoying until the boy playing Albert sung his solo "Alone amidst the Fields of War" when Gordon, forgetting his promise, began to sing along. He had an impressive voice, but all it got him and his friends was permission to send them all despite the fact that only he had been singing and he felt bad for it all now, so he decided to leave the Fat Controller's railway and find somewhere else where he would feel more appreciated.

He puffed on into the night, singing the very song that got him trouble in the first place.

Presently, he found himself at Knapford.

"I've made up my mind." He told someone on the platform. "I'll go with you."

" _Buona."_ A voice hissed vehemently.

Out of the shadows stepped a man with a scarred face half burnt off. This had happened in an accident, and ever since he had turned to opera to save his face- only he couldn't sing and he was too much of a phantom for Phantom of the Opera so he went for big money by becoming a manager.

And it worked, too. He carried silk handkerchiefs spun from the finest silkworms in China and black suits, tails and top hats that only opera men could pull off. His shirts indicated a firm roundness of his figure and he was a very short man- however, one you would not like to cross without defence.

Mr Nicholas Pavoni smiled at the Express engine, who managed a nervous smile in response.

"Very well then- stay with me, Gordon, and I shall make you 'Il mio piccolo uccello canoro acciaio.'"

"Very well then-I'll go." He conceded.

"Good. Now come with me- we leave tonight and we have a long journey ahead of us!"

"What?"

"I'm setting you up in an opera in London!"

The big engine gaped.

...

The next morning, the other engines felt bad about what they said to Gordon, and for kicking him out. So they called out to their friend- for he was still their friend, after all- but to no avail. He would not appear.

All day, Gordon never turned up for his Express trains. So the Fat Controller had Hiro, James and Henry take over until Gordon could be found.

Thomas thought back to the night before, trying to find some clue that might lead them to their friend.

"Thomas, don't scrunch your nose up like that." Edward reminded him whilst the two engines were at Cronk Scrapyard.

"Are you alright?" Reg asked. "You like you smelled something awful."

"I certainly think something fishy is going on." Thomas admitted slowly.

"So do I. Do you remember a gentleman wearing a top hat at the play last night?"

"What, the Fat Controller's responsible for this?" Thomas asked, bemused.

"No, Thomas- the gentleman I am referring to was wearing a silver pocket watch, a mask and a purple silk ribbon around his top hat."

"Oh! I might kind of remember him."

"Well, when Gordon began singing, I saw him give this look, almost as he had found something priceless."

Thomas felt the pieces slowly fit together. "You mean-"

"Exactly- I shall make some inquiries into the matter. Do you wish to come with me this afternoon?" He offered politely.

"Well, I'm free, so I'd love to!"

"Good." Edward smiled warmly at his friend.

...

Later, they asked a bunch of friends about the man they saw the previous night. Thankfully, an old woman knew who Edward was on about.

"Nicholas Pavoti, his name was," she said.

"Don't you mean Pavoni?" Edward asked her politely.

"Oh yes I do! Forgive me Edward, my memory's slipping these days. People these days can't rely on the elderly."

"Well we can!" Thomas replied. "You're the only one who gave us any helpful information so far."

"Indeed, so I beg of you, Marjorie, if you know anything of value, you must tell us." The old engine implored his friend.

Well, I do remember that I took my great niece to the play." She began.

"Oh- you mean Kate?" They both recognized the name. Kate was a blind, sixteen year old girl. She loved sewing and music, and she was encouraged greatly by her family.

Yes I invited her, you see, along with my brother and some friends of mine. She explained. I know about Pavoni- why, he took on an old acquaintance of mine who had the most beautiful singing voice. She worked for him for sixteen years-but then he sacked her in favour of a squirrel!"

Why would anyone do that?" Thomas asked.

I thought he lost his dooally but no one can dare question him of his insanity. He is very powerful and rich- not to mention having the temper to master all bad tempers!"

Oh dear Edward thought weakly. This would be harder than I thought..."

...

Meanwhile, Gordon had arrived in London, after a long journey.

"Whew! I could do with a rest." He thought to himself. "Now, Mr Pavoni told me to meet him at Charing Cross Station..."

After navigating the line several times, thanks to some silly little diesel shunters, he finally managed to find Charing Cross.

...

"I'm afraid that's all I can say." Marjorie said.

"Well, thanks anyway," Thomas told her. "Though I do have one question..."

"Go on then, dearie."

"Do you happen to know if he's based in London?"

The old lady laughed. "Why yes he is! Where else around on Sodor and the mainland would he be?"

"Thank you so much my friend." Edward said gratefully, before looking at the tank engine.

"We need to warn Sir Topham Hatt -immediately." He said gravely.

Equally solemn, Thomas puffed off to do just that, whilst Edward gathered the other engines.

"What? But how can this be?" The Fat Controller demanded, later on, once he and the engines were gathered.

"I don't know sir, but that's all we found out." Thomas explained.

"Very well then- we shall have to venture into London and get him back!" The Fat Controller decided. I shall make some telephone calls, whilst you all head off to Crovan's Gate. I'll meet you at the Steamworks, and we shall venture on to Vicarstown and go to the Mainland via the bridge."

Once the engines set off, the Fat Controller entered his office and made heaps of phone calls. Most were to the stationmasters to arrange the running of the railway, and he also made one to his wife and his mother to let them know where he would be.

After he called everyone he needed to, he grabbed his hat and ran out of the door to his blue car, parked outside the station.

They were going to get Gordon back.

And by golly they were going to do it!

(Il mio piccolo uccello canoro acciaio.'")- means 'my little steel songbird' in Italian.


	2. Chapter 2

That evening, as the sun was setting, a crowd had gathered at Victoria Embankment Gardens, a short distance from the Thames. Gordon was standing proudly on the rails, wearing a black bow tie round his funnel.

The crowd were amused by this, but they didn't laugh. They came to hear music, not to spectacle on the revolutionary fact that an engine was wearing a human accessory.

Gordon felt a bit jittery but seeing his first actual audience gave him confidence, and so he sang. As he was unable to do much with song sheets, Mr Pavoni's assistant –Abigail- suggested that he sing something dear to him, which was what he did.

He sang of London. It was a nostalgic tune, and he sang of how grand and green he had once been before he came to Sodor. He sang of his brother, his only surviving brother, and all his cousins. He sang of his trip to King's Cross and he even added a small homage to Thomas by mentioning how that silly engine almost stopped them from entering the grand city.

By the end of the song, everyone was laughing at Thomas' mention, and weeping at witnessing such a beautiful song.

As Mr Pavoni directed many over to the tracks, Gordon beamed.

He had made it- he had finally become a star!

...

Meanwhile, Henry was feeling unwell. His valves had taken a turn for the worse, and he was unable to procced further without aid. So Edward and James coupled up to him and took him onwards as well as themselves, which was hard work.

Soon, Thomas spotted a poster which had the words 'Come see the fabulous Singing Engine! Tonight at 8:00pm in Victoria Embankment Park.'

"That's Gordon!" Percy peeped. It must be."

"Well, we should go and get him back!" Emily decided.

With a loud toot from their whistles, the Steam Team (minus Gordon, of course,) set off to their new destination.

...

They found Gordon not long afterwards.

"There you are Gordon!" Thomas peeped happily.

"What do you want?" Gordon sked snippily.

Edward, James and Henry knew that when Gordon was especially snippy, he was really embarrassed about something.

"It's alright Thomas. We'll take it from here." James told him, being unusually tender. In truth, Thomas felt rather stung by what had happened.

"Okay, thanks James." He whispered.

"Gordon, you can't just leave Sodor!" The number blue engine attempted to reason with his friend.

"I just did, didn't I?"

"I know you left, but surely you can't just give up everything just to become famous!"

"Edward's right! You may have gained more fame than the Singing Kettles but there's no need to take out your feelings on us- especially Thomas!" James added crossly.

"Yes," Henry added, rather wheezily. "Leave him be, Gordon."

Edward and James glared at their old friend in defiance. Gordon responded in kind.

"We're losing, aren't we Thomas?" Percy asked.

"If Gordon keeps his stubbornness up, then it looks like we have." Thomas agreed.

Then the Fat Controller decided to speak.

"Gordon, think of all your Express duties, and your friends. They've been through a lot- why Henry took on sickness!"

But Gordon remained resolute that he will never, ever go back to Sodor.

And it is final. He said firmly.

The engines, defeated, left their friend.

...

"I can't believe he wouldn't come with us." Percy said to Edward.

"Well, he's a new Gordon now." Edward replied.

But Thomas was having a hard time coming round to this. He thought of the time when he called Gordon Lazybones and got a ride of a lifetime in revenge. He also remembered when Gordon got stuck in a swamp and how he would tease him about it before he fell down a mine. That was the day the two had formed an alliance.

He sniffed, feeling close to tears now.

"Thomas?"

Percy had stopped beside him.

"Do you miss Gordon?"

"Yes."

"So do I- but what can we do?" the saddle tank asked despairingly.

Thomas thought a moment. The alliance he had made with Gordon was still stuck in his mind.

"Go on Percy- I'll be alright." He told the younger engine.

"Alright, then- if you're sure." Percy replied, and set off.

Thomas was about to follow on too, when he suddenly ground to a halt.

"What happened?"

"We're out of coal Thomas. I did tell you to fill up before we left Vicarstown." His driver reminded him.

"Oh I am such a silly engine." Thomas moaned. "Well, I better hope one of my friends will come back."

So he blew his whistle loudly hoping that someone would hear him.

"Someone please come back! Percy!" He yelled.

But no one heard him.

Except...

"Here, have some of mine."

The number 1 engine was surprised to see Gordon beside him.

"Thank you Gordon." Thomas puffed, surprised, as his friend sighed.

"I was thinking, Thomas,"

"What were you thinking about, Gordon?"

"Well, about our old Alliance."

"Oh, that? So was I. I remember the day we made it."

"Yes- you were a blue goofball if I'm not mistaken." Gordon puffed mischievously.

Thomas glared at him.

" _United we stand,_

 _Together we fall_

 _You help me_

 _And I'll help you."_

They chorused this time old promise, and by the end, Thomas smiled in a bittersweet fashion.

"Well, you helped me, so I'll help you somehow." He said.

"You already have-helping you out just now made me think about my life on Sodor, and what I did to the railway."

He didn't even say it in a bragging manner as he normally would.

"You have done a lot you know. More than you think. I'm sorry we all kicked out of the sheds last night." Thomas told him earnestly.

"You're forgiven, even though everyone else has long gone." His companion's sarcastic reply sounded.

Thomas grinned.

"And I'm sorry for ruining the play." Gordon added.

"Offence pardoned." Thomas quoted form Edward, causing the older engine to laugh.

"You are a goofball Thomas."

"So are you- sometimes." The tank engine retorted cheekily.

The grand Express engine glared at him, though it didn't last very long.

Shall we go then?

"Go-to Sodor?" The smaller engine asked, hope rising in his voice.

"Yes-back to Sodor, my dear friend." Was what he received in response. "I just want my friends back."

They set off together, chatting happily on the way.

And that's that! I hope you enjoyed this request from a guest reviewer.

Please review, and I hope you liked.


End file.
